Process of treating oil



April 29, 1930. c. P. DUBBS PROCESS OF TREATING OIL qriginal Filed Feb. 10. 1922 Z f J a J WI w 6 u flw V .& Q Q mu A r NM mm I 2 gm. v m A 3 NW W W N. 6 M kw m uu M W H Y m I. {J N W I. g QN MN mm X h B AWN. i| Q H.......H....W ANN -M H Q w\ MN 3 QN QN Wm wN v a. 5 m y e QN NM. Wm M Patented Apr. 29, 1930 umren STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CAB BON P. DUIBBS, F WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

PROCESS OF TREATING OIL Application filed February 10, 1922, Serial This invention relates to improvements in a process oftreating oil and refers more particularly to a process for cracking hydrocarbon oil for the production of lighter hydrocarbons in which the cracking reaction is carried on in the presence of a third substance, as for example, aluminum chloride.

It is well known to those skilled in the art,

that for many years past, petroleum, when distilled with aluminum chloride, produces lighter and low boiling point hydrocarbons.

One of the difliculties of the process lies in the fact that suitably prepared aluminum chloride is relatively expensive and known methods of recovery of the chloride are either unsatisfactory or prohibitive in expense. In the present process, the aluminum chloride, is to a greater or less extent, automatically recovered and maintained in active circulation through the system.

In the drawing, the single figure is a somewhat diagrammatic view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of an apparatus suitable for carrying out my process.

Referring in detail to this drawing, 1 designates a furnace in which is seated the heating coil 2, which may consist of several hundred feet of 3" pipe connected in series. The upper or discharge end of the coil is connected 'by 30 transfer line 3, having throttle valve 4, to one end of an expansion chamber 5, which may be located outside of the fire zone. This expan' sion chamber 5 is provided with a liquid residue drawoif 6, controlled by throttle valve 7. 15 The vapor space of the chamber 5 is connected by vapor pipe 8, having throttle valve 9 to the lower side of a dephlegmator 10, having The vapor space of the the usual baflies 11.

dephlegmator 10 is connected by pipe 12 hav- 0 ing throttle valve 13, to condenser coil 14,

seated in condenser box 15. The lower end of the coil is connected by pi e 16 having throttle valve 17 to the top 0? receiver 18.

The receiver 18 has liquid drawofi pipe 19 con- 5 trolled by throttle valve 20, gas outlet pipe 21,

controlled by valve 22, pressure gauge 23 and liquid level gauge 24.

At the start of the process, a suitably prepared mixture of petroleum oil, as for examl ple, gas oil or fuel oil, is mixed with aluminum No. 535,497. Renewed November 2, 1925.

chloride in the mixing chamber 25 the aluminum chloride being introduced through the pipe 26 and the raw oil through the pipe 27.

'he aluminum chloride used may be such asis generally used in processes of this character. This mixture may be fed by the pump 28 to feed line 29, controlled by throttle valve 30 and leading to the upper end of the dephlegmator 10. The mixture then passes through the dephlegmator and out through leg 31, controlled by valve 32, to feed line 33, having valve 34, leading to the heating coil 2. After the process is in operation, it may not be necessary to continue to feed in aluminum chloride for the reason that the aluminum chloride will be condensed in the dephlegmator and re-circulated through the coil and will treat further raw oil introduced through line 35, having valve 36 and pump 37.

he process may be carried out as follows:

The suitably prepared mixture of raw oil and aluminum chloride may be fed into the top of the dephlegmator and thence through the heating coil where the oil may be treated to a temperature of say, 650 degrees F., more or less. The oil passes to the expansion chamber where vaporization takes place. The liquid residue is drawn off through the pipe 6 while the oil vapors and the aluminum chloride, in vapor form, pass into the side of the dephlegmator through the pipe 8. Here the heavier vapors and aluminum chloride will be condensed and returned mixed with the raw oil through the leg 31 and line 32 to the coil 2. The uncondensed vapors will pass out through the water condenser to the receiver. It will be seen that the aluminum chloride is automatically and constantly returned to the system for further treatment. Inasmuch as the aluminum chloride is constantly removed, 90 to a greater or less extent, from the carbon containing residue, it can be constantly reused. The transfer line 3 may extend as shown at 3' to above the lower part of the expansion chamber which has a liquid level a. The process may be carried out at atmospheric pressure.

A process may be carried out in the above manner in which a pressure of say, 25 to 200 pounds may be maintained on the entire sys tom or on part of the system through suitably regulating the throttle valves shown. A process may also be carried out along the lines above referred to either with or without pressure, in which the liquid condensing in the expansion chamber may be constantly agitated by means of uncondensable gas taken from the receiver 18, by means of pipe 38, pump 39 and throttle valve 40, leading to perforated pipe 41, extending along the lower part of the expansion chamber 5.

If desired, instead of introducing the oil into the top of the dephlegmator, the mixture may be introduced from the chamber 25 by means of pipe 42, controlled by valve 43, and pump 44, the pipe 42 leading back to the charging line 33. The oil alone may be introduced through the by-pass 45, having a throttle valve 46. 1

I claim as my invention:

1. A process of converting oil, consisting in mixing oil and aluminum chloride, passing the mixture through a heating zone, and thence to an expansion chamber where vaporization takes place, removing the oil vapors and aluminum chloride in vaporized form and subjecting them to condensing action and returning the condenser aluminum chloride, and reflux condensate directly to the heating zone, and maintaining a substantial vapor pressureon the system during vaporization and condensation.

2. A process of converting oil, consisting in passing a mixture of oil and aluminum chloride, through a heating zone, and thence to an expansion chamber where vaporization takes place, removing the oil vapors and aluminumchloride in vaporized form and subjecting them to condensing action and returning the condensed aluminum chloride and reflux condensate directly to the he'atingrzone.

3. A process of converting oil, consisting in passing a mixture of oil. and aluminum 7 chloride through a heating zone, and thence to an expansion chamber where vaporization takes place, removing the oil vapors and aluminum chloride in vaporized form and subjecting them to condensing action and returnlng the condensed aluminum chloride and reflux condensate directly to the heating zone, maintaining a substantial vapor pressure on the system during vaporization and condensation.

4. A process of converting oil, consisting in passing a mixture of oil and aluminum chloride through a heating zone, vand thence to an expansion chamber where vaporization takes place, removing the oil vapors and aluminum chloride in vaporized form and subjecting them'to condensing action and returning the condensed aluminum chloride and reflux condensate directly to the heating zone.

5. A process of converting oil consisting in mixing aluminum chloride with the oil charging stock, passing the mixture through a heating zone and raising it. to a conversion temperature, directing the heated liquid to an expansion chamber where vaporization takes place, subjecting the vaporous constituents of oil and aluminum chloride to a reflux coil positioned in a furnace, wherein the maximum temperature employed in the process is imparted to the mixture, in delivering the heated mixture to an expansion chamber,

wherein substantial vaporization occurs, in

passing the vapors from said expansion chamber to a reflux condenser, wherein the aluminum chloride and heavier oil constituents are condensed and returned to said coil, in discontinuing the admission of mixed aluminum chloride and charging oil to said coil, when a suflicient quantity of aluminum chloride has been introduced to the system, and in thereafter admitting to said coil charging oil, free from aluminum chloride, to be united with the reflux condensate and aluminum chloride separated from the vapors by conde isation and passed therewith through said C01 7. In the art of converting hydrocarbon oils, the process which consists in initially supplying a mixture of charging oil for the processand aluminum chloride to a heating coil positioned in a furnace, wherein the maximum temperature employed in the process is imparted to the mixture, in delivering the heated mixture to an expansion chamber, wherein substantial vaporization occurs, in passing the vapors from said expansion chamber to a reflux condenser, wherein the aluminum chloride and heavier oil constituents are condensed and returned to said coil, in discontinuing the admission of mixed aluminum chloride and charging oil to said coil, when a sufiicient quantity of aluminum chloride has been introduced to the system and in thereafter admitting to said coil charging oil, free from aluminum chloride, to be united with the reflux condensate and aluminum chloride separated from the vapors by condensation and passed therewith through said coil, in agitating the heated mixture in. said expansion chamber during the operation of CARBON P. DUBBS. 

